It depends:
· What you want to do with your donkey.
· Your personal taste
· How much you wish to spend

- There are 6 official breeds which are recognized by the National
Stud farms in France. (Poitou, Berry, Provence, Cotentin, Norman
and the Pyrenees) the donkeys with pedigree are selected according
to a standard.

In addition to the standard imposed by the breed, the breeders select
their stallion according to their character. You will find donkeys
with pedigree perfect for hiking, carting or reproduction.

Where
to get information?
The associations of recognized breeds which are the most qualified
to give you good advice.

Where
to buy it?

· It is always desirable to buy your donkey privatly give
yourself time to think and also inform your nearest association
of the breed if you are in doubt about the origins of the animal.

· The purchases on fair seem to reserved to very informed
people, knowing all the risks (defects hidden, false papers, etc...),
and the negotiations are very fast.

· Careful with the advertisements and especially with the
sales on Internet which are an open door for the horse dealer and
the importers (except for the websites managed for a breed)

To
choose a donkey of which age?

Ideally you should choose one still with its mother. That will
enable you to educate it your way.
If it is an adult you have to catch it easily in the field and take
care he does not bite following a bad education. In the summer be
sure that it does not have itching on the neck or the croup, because
there is no effective remedy (we can see that mainly above the "Loire"
in France). It is also necessary to check the hoofs and the general
state of the donkey. For the donkey with a pedigree the age is mentioned
on its papers.

To
choose a male or a female?

First you need to ascertain know what you want it for :
· If it is for reproduction then you will choose a female.
· If it is for the leisure (hiking, carting or pet) then
let us advise you on a male gelded (male castrated towards the 18
months age).

Why? You can use it all the year (this is not the case with females,
there is a problem during their heat period, the end of gestation
and the 6 months of breast feeding).

Contrary to the generally accepted ideas, a male gelded is soft
like a female. Moreover, his price is lower.
· If you plan to buy several males, it is necessary to choose
young animals (6 months) which will arrive at the same time on your
property and should be kept together (never separate them before
the gelding and isolate them from any female)
· Avoid buying at the same time a male and a female because
when they will be one you will have to separate them
· stallions are for the breeders who have several females
or for the public covering.

Which
surface is necessary?

As an indication good quality ground it is necessary to allow
approximately 3000m2 for a each Cotentin donkey. In this pasture
it will be necessary to have a shelter (see after).

Can
the donkey stay alone?

The donkey suffers alone, the ideal is to buy two of them. With
a defect, you can substitute a horse, a sheep, a goat... for company
for him.

What
we have to control the purchase day?

Choosing a donkey with a pedigree: for foals (less than 6 months),
if it is with his mother, if it complies with the standard set for
its breed.
It is also necessary to check the covering declaration and the birth
certificate/documents (justifying its age and its origins).

What
is required at the time of the delivery?

For a donkey with pedigree :

· Its registration and identification documents (white card
with 4 wings) this will include the SIRE number and the microchip
number (transponder). For a Cotentin foal this will be mentioned
in the: "Stud-book of the Donkey Cotentin Delivers B".
Vaccinations must also appear on this document.
- The detachable wing of owner change must be sent within 8 days
to the SIRE after being completed. If the owner does not receive
the origin document then a provisional certificate of identification
(blue sheet) should be received.
Ask for a receipt of payment.

For a common donkey.

· green card identification (no donkey, even common can
be sold without be identified)